Description

Before the Santa Cruz Blur TR Carbon showed up, your choices were either a cross country or all-mountain Blur, leaving those who simply wanted a mountain bike to make compromises. Packaged with XT components, this 120mm travel SPX TR Complete Mountain Bike answers the need for a bike that's light, durable, and fun for those that just like to ride dirt.

The TR Carbon splits the travel difference of the XC and LT, while favoring low weight with its optimized, high-modulus carbon chassis. Additionally, it provides enhanced trail manners due to a slightly slacker head angle, a lower stand-over height, and more travel than the Blur XC. The secret to the Blur TR Carbon's class-leading strength-to-weight ratio is Santa Cruz's proprietary carbon processes.

The front triangle of the Blur TR Carbon is constructed as once piece, rather than having components produced separately, and then bonded or wrapped. Additionally, the carbon fibers are continuous around tube junctions in order to distribute load and to better absorb impact energy. The frame looks as good on the inside as it does on the outside, as there's nothing there except smooth carbon. And just like the Blur XC Carbon, there are no riveted or bonded-on cable and hose guides, as they're incorporated into the original layup. The stiff carbon chassis is paired with the latest generation Virtual Pivot Point rear suspension.

The upper- and lower-links flatten out the shock rate and provide a more active feel to the early end of the axle path. The suspension allows the rear wheel to move up and back as you ride over a bump. Additionally, it balances the downward force of pedaling with the pulling force of the chain through its link configuration and axle path. The resulting movement makes it easier to roll over a bump or through a dip, and the suspension doesn't change whether you're in the saddle or not.

The Blur TR has a carbon fiber upper-link that shaves weight and enhances lateral stiffness. It's counterpart on the bottom is alloy, and it has easily-serviceable grease ports. The pivots for both links have beefy 15mm locking collet axle-pins, so they won't creak or loosen. Even better, they run on intricately-sealed bearings that should last the life of the frame.

The VPP suspension of the Santa Cruz Blur TR Carbon yields 120mm of smooth travel damped by a FOX CTD rear shock — a lightweight, reliable shock that features an intuitive interface for simple, on-the-fly suspension tuning. It has three distinct settings: a firm "Climbing" setting, medium "Trail" setting, and a plush "Descent" setting. This keeps operation straightforward and intuitive for beginners and experts alike.

The drivetrain is a full 3x10 Shimano XT group, including the cranks, derailleurs, shifters, and cassette. Stopping the Blur are a set of 160mm Ice Tech rotor-equipped XT brakes. An Easton EC70 handlebar and stem share cockpit duty with a RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper post and a WTB Silverado Team saddle.

The Santa Cruz SPX XC Complete Mountain Bike is available in four sizes from Small to X-Large and in the colors Gloss White/black and Matte Black/silver.